The (Cold) Drugs Don't Work

You've probably got some in your medicine cabinet right now, and if you take them hoping for a relief from congestion, you're pretty much taking a placebo. A recent FDA review found that one of the most most popular active ingredients in these medications is basically useless.So how has this drug been approved and available for decades when evidence shows it doesn't do what it's supposed to? Why did it take us so long to realize it? Which medications actually will relieve congestion? And what should you do when the first cold of the fall hits your household?GUEST: Mina Tadrous, pharmacist and the host of the I'm Pharmacy podcast at the University of Toronto's Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy